


Four Times the Weather Ruined Everything (And One Time It Was Just Perfect)

by Severina



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Community: tv-universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 05:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2680694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Severina/pseuds/Severina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What it says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times the Weather Ruined Everything (And One Time It Was Just Perfect)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ's tv_universe challenge for a 5-Times prompt with the theme of "Holiday Traditions". My prompt was "5 times the weather ruined their holiday celebration".
> 
> * * *

**01\. Valentine's Day**

Brian sees the flowers at the kiosk and doesn't let himself overthink it this time. He just diverts from his path toward the Avis counter and snatches the first bouquet that comes to hand, something with red floppy blooms; barely looks up as he hands over his credit card. 

He parks three blocks from Justin's apartment, studies the street warily as he slings his overnight bag over his shoulder and plucks the flowers from the passenger seat. He privately thinks that he'll be lucky if the car is still there come morning, and makes (another) silent vow to redouble his efforts to convince Justin to move. 

The wind clutches at him as he starts the walk to Justin's hovel. Gale-force, they said on the news, and he believes it as he presses forward against the onslaught, forcing one foot in front of the other. He twists his head to the side to avoid the worst of it, squints his eyes shut and curses Justin and New York and fucking storms with every step. Damn kid is going to owe him one hell of a blowjob for this.

The kiss Justin greets him with at the door is almost enough to make the trip worth it, but then the kid has to go and open his mouth.

"Hey," Justin says, when they finally pull apart. His nose wrinkles when he takes in the bundle of bent and crooked green stalks clutched in Brian's icy grip. "Are those--?"

"Fuck off."

**02\. Father's Day**

"It's not their fault," Justin says.

Brian lifts his shoulder, angles his body until he feels Justin's hand drop away. "I never said it was."

"There's flooding everywhere, I heard that Toronto called in the National Guard—"

"Shouldn't they be bringing in Mounties?" Brian sniffs. He shrugs away when he sees Justin's hand reach out again, heads for the coffee pot. "All for a bit of rain."

"Half a year's worth of rain over the course of twenty-four hours," Justin says reasonably.

The kid is so damn rational it makes Brian's teeth ache. Just like Lindsay on the phone, all syrupy sweetness as she apologized for not being able to send Gus for Father's Day like she promised, like she swore she would when they moved to the godforsaken Northern wilderness. Like Michael when he heard that their family dinner would have to be cancelled, encouraging him and Justin to come over anyway. Like he'd want to spend more than twenty minutes at Chez Novotny-Bruckner without his kid there as a buffer.

The coffee is scalding hot and does nothing to burn away the bitterness that's already on his tongue. He tosses it down the drain and bends with his palms pressed to the counter, breathing through his nose and trying to stop the disappointment from washing him away.

And when Justin touches his arm and leans against him for the third time, Brian lets him. 

**03\. Thanksgiving**

"Oh good, the gang's all here," Brian says dryly as he shakes the ice pellets from his overcoat. He glances around the room, accepts Lindsay's kiss to his cheek.

"Didn't think a little ice storm was going to keep us away, did you?" Lindsay asks.

"Even though they were warning people not to leave their homes," Melanie puts in.

"There's blackouts all over the area, I heard," Michael says, nodding. "Ice on the power lines."

"Em nearly fell on his ass three times just walking from the car to the door," Ted says.

"That was interpretative dance," Emmett insists primly, "in honour of the holiday."

"I should sure as fuck hope you'd all get here," Debbie bleats. "It's Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving—"

"—is for family," the group intones.

"Damn right," Debbie says. She claps her hands together. "All right, now that everybody's here I'm going to put the turkey in the oven. Anybody need anything? Beer's in the fridge. Oh hell, you know where everything is."

"We're good, Deb," Ted answers, tossing a peep into his mouth.

Brian slings his coat on the railing and toes off his shoes before heading into the living room. "Oh boy," he drawls, "we're watching the parade."

"We are, and you're going to enjoy it," Lindsay answers with a not so subtle look at Gus.

Brian grimaces, but plops down on the floor next to his son and casually loops a hand around Justin's shin. When Gus points happily at the image of a giant Snoopy balloon on the TV, Brian settles his back against the edge of the sofa. After a moment he feels Justin's fingers stirring in his hair, and he lets himself relax. Maybe, he thinks, the day won't be so bad.

Which is exactly when the power goes out.

Gus enjoys eating ice cream for dinner.

**04\. Christmas**

"It's your fault," Justin insists. "I told you to get something with four wheel drive! The 'vette can't handle—"

"And I told you to make sure the fucking phones were charged before we left," Brian interrupts.

"And I would have, if you didn't ambush me in the shower!"

"I didn't hear you complaining," Brian says smugly.

Justin flops back against the seat, avoiding his eyes. "Try again," he says.

Brian scowls at him, but obligingly turns the key. The engine splutters for a moment, the tires spinning uselessly before he gives up. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Justin says sarcastically. "Being stuck on a barren stretch of interstate is exactly how I wanted to spend my Christmas!"

"I aim to please," Brian grits out.

He drums his fingers against the wheel, side-glances Justin as the kid stares blindly out the windshield at the driving snow. He lifts a brow when Justin suddenly twists in his seat and reaches into one of the gift bags at his feet. He recognizes the brightly wrapped gift as something that Justin bought for Deb, but now the paper flutters at Justin's feet before he rips off the cellophane and digs inside. He has his mouth full before he offers the box to Brian. "Chocolate?"

Brian opens his mouth to bitch about fat content and cholesterol levels before closing it again and picking out one of the caramels. He raises it in a sardonic toast. "Merry Christmas, Justin."

The kid sighs before leaning over to rest his head on his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Brian."

**05\. New Years Eve**

Justin leans on the railing, watching the surf. 

And Brian watches him, watches the way the moonlight glints in his hair and the warm breeze lifts it away from his brow. He sets his drink on the table before crossing the patio to wrap his arms around his chest and tug him in; leans down to draw Justin's earlobe into his mouth, nips lightly at his flesh and enjoys the way the boy shivers in his arms before releasing him. 

"Happy?" he breathes into his ear.

"Hey, you two!" Debbie squawks, "hurry up! You're going to miss the fireworks!"

"Mel, do you have the camera?" 

"Got it, Linds!"

"I hope those boys from the luau are there," Emmett says. "They said they'd teach me some steps."

"Who knew Hawaii could be so stimulating?" Ted asks gleefully.

Brian sighs.

But then Justin turns in his arms. "It's perfect," he says.

And when Justin grins up at him and takes his hand to lead him down to the beach, Brian may just have to agree.


End file.
